


Wings

by F1_rabbit



Category: Formula 1 RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Blood and Gore, Body Horror, Horror, M/M, Wings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-28
Updated: 2016-06-30
Packaged: 2018-07-18 14:28:17
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,194
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7318888
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/F1_rabbit/pseuds/F1_rabbit
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nico's happy to show off his beautiful wings in public in the hope that he'll find his soulmate, the one person who has exactly the same wings as him, but not all of Nico's friends feel the same way about soulmates.</p><p>[Please note the horror/blood/gore tags for chapter 2 - This was meant to be a fluffy birthday fic, but my mind had other ideas… It’s now a full blown Cronenbergian body horror (if you don’t know who Cronenberg is, the odds are that you don’t want to know). If you don’t like gory horror films, then please skip straight to chapter 3.]</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Shivers

 

> _The most merciful thing in the world, I think, is the inability of the human mind to correlate all its contents._
> 
> _\- H P Lovecraft_

 

Nico walked down the hall, backpack slung low so that his long black wings could trail behind him. They were so dark that light seemed to be sucked into them with no chance of escape, and yet there were metallic silver sparkles rippling through them as he moved, making him look elegant and sleek. His perfect blond hair was like a crown on his head and all he needed was a staff so that he could take his position as King of the Engineering Students.

"Look at him showing off," Mitch said, smiling at Alex as he nodded in agreement.

Marcus rolled his eyes, although with his hooded eyes it lost some of its effect. "If he wants to show off his wings it's his choice."

"Just because you two don't want to find your soulmate," Jo said, smiling at Marcus. They all knew that Mitch and Alex had both decided that the idea of finding their soulmates was silly, and they wanted no part of it, which meant keeping their wings in at all times.

"It's so attention seeking." Mitch shoved Marcus, who shoved him back, and they ended up shoving each other with such force that Jo fell off the end of the bench. Nico rushed over to help Jo up, wrapping him in his soft wings, and Jo blushed furiously.

"Are you okay?" Nico said, as he dusted Jo off with his wings, causing more blushing as Jo squirmed away from his touch.

Jo nodded, and Marcus stood up so that he could lean in close. "I'm sorry," he whispered, and Jo gave him a little hug.

It was nice, until Mitch decided to yell, "Get a room!"

"Have you guys done the homework for computing?" Nico asked, desperate to change the subject before Jo ended up with second degree burns on his cheeks from all the blushing.

"Need someone to copy off?" Mitch asked, with a cheeky grin on his face and Alex shuffled closer to him, as though he was preparing to act as his bodyguard.

"No." Nico shrugged and he held out his tablet, showing off his immaculately formatted code. Jo laughed, his braces peeking out and he went to cover his mouth but Marcus stopped him.

Alex smiled, but he tried to hide it when Mitch looked at him, which ended up with them all laughing, for as much as they gave each other a hard time, they were all friends. Had been ever since first year when they ended up all sharing a flat with one really inconsiderate guy, and the five of them had banded together against him, to the point that at the end of last year, rather than risk another year with Mr Inconsiderate, they'd agreed to get a flat together.

They were an odd mix, but together they were stronger, and although they teased each other, they wouldn't let anyone else do it to their friends. At least they all had one thing in common, their classes, and it was going to be that way until final year.

***

Marcus had his wings out, the pale blue feathers shimmering under the evening light as he used them to flick through his text book while he worked away on his laptop. Alex came in and Marcus considered putting his wings away, but it was his home too, and he didn't mind his close friends seeing his wings.

"Why bother having your wings out if you only have them out at home?" Alex asked as he sat down on the sofa next to him, forcing Marcus to move his wings. "You're not going to meet your soulmate here."

Marcus laughed, he understood the fascination with soulmates, but he didn't understand how two people who apparently didn't want to find their soulmates could spend so much time talking about them.

Jo wandered through the door at the wrong time, and he almost backed out but he didn't want to sit in his room alone and study, so he made himself comfy on the armchair. He deliberately didn't look at either Marcus or Alex, he couldn't bear to be dragged into another conversation about soulmates.

"Jo will agree with me," Alex said, and Jo sighed internally, "He never gets his wings out, so he must think that the idea of soulmates is silly."

"I…" Jo looked around before blushing. "I'm going to get a cup of tea. Do you guys want one?"

"Sure," Alex said, smiling as though he'd won the argument, even though Jo hadn't spoken.

"Coffee for me?" Marcus asked, and Jo nodded, glad of a reason to leave the room.

Jo slunk off to the kitchen, glad that the winter break was approaching fast, although they had exams first, but a little bit of time away from all this would do him good. Even though he'd miss them all.

He returned to the living room with three cups, hoping that they were talking about something else now, but he saw Mitch and Nico had come in, and they were in full debate mode.

"Jo, why don't you get your wings out?" Mitch asked, and Alex stared at Jo in a way that made him feel exposed.

"He doesn't have to get his wings out if he doesn't want to." Marcus reached out a wing to take his coffee out of Jo's hands, and Jo handed Alex his tea before sitting back down in the chair, Marcus' wing resting on his knee.

"I just don't want to," Jo said, pulling out his text book so that he could use it as a shield.

"You might miss out on some fun," Nico said with a grin, and although Jo knew he meant with someone else, it didn't stop him blushing at the thought of doing things with Nico as he sipped at his cup of tea, hoping that it would cover his embarrassment.

"It's a free world," Marcus said, "It's his choice if and when he wants to get his wings out."

"Okay," Mitch said, holding his hands up in mock defeat, "I give up, I've got studying to do anyway."

Mitch wandered off to his room, Alex following behind him and the sound of music playing quietly filled the flat as the others stayed in the living room, the issue of wings and soulmates not mentioned again, although Jo was sure that it was because of all his blushing rather than Mitch letting go of an argument. There was a reason that Mitch was leader of the debate club.

***

The end of term arrived quickly, the strange feeling of relief and anxiety that marked the end of the exams and the start of the winter holidays was liberating, even if they had to wait to find out their results.

Jo had dropped everyone off at the airport, before driving Alex home, and finally heading to his parents' for winter break.

Two weeks of having someone else cook and clean for him, and the excitement of finally getting his braces off meant that Jo had the biggest smile on his face, but it was all over too soon, and he was saying bye to his parents and siblings before heading back to university, glad to be going back to his friends. He had his new braces-free teeth to show off, and he couldn't stop running his tongue over his teeth, amazed by how smooth they were.

Jo was going to be the last to get back, and he was cutting it fine, classes started back tomorrow.

The flat was quiet, and he crept in as the others slept, the floor boards creaking underfoot and he heard someone move.

"You're back," Marcus whispered from his door, and Jo went over to give him a hug, happy to be wrapped up in Marcus' wings, so soft against his skin, never too warm or cold, and perfect for cuddling up in. But he'd never tell Marcus that, because it would mean having to tell him why he never got his own wings out.

"I'll tell you everything in the morning," Jo said, giving him a kiss on the cheek before slinking off to his room, leaving his bag to be unpacked tomorrow. He fell asleep with a smile on his face, and he only wished that his blanket was as soft as Marcus' wings.

***

They all quickly fell into their usual routine, hanging out in the library between classes so that they could study together, and test the patience of the librarians.

Mitch was eating his sweeties, and sharing them with everyone else in flagrant disregard of the 'no eating in the library' rule. Although they always cleared up after themselves so most of the librarians didn't bother them over that.

Nico stole a sweetie using his wing, brushing Jo on the way past and he nuzzled against it automatically. When Marcus saw that it he offered Jo his hoodie, assuming that he was cold, and Jo accepted it out of embarrassment, rather that tell Marcus that he just liked the feeling of wings on his skin.

Jo was so flustered that he fumbled to put the hoodie on, putting his hand through the wing hole more than once, and in the end Marcus had to help him get it on, which had only caused more blushing.

They were taking a break before starting on their quantum mechanics tutorial when Jo saw a blond man with wings so dark that light seemed to be sucked into them with no chance of escape, yet there were metallic silver sparkles rippling through them as he moved, and a tattoo that poked out of the top of his button neck tee, the thin white material giving him a glimpse of the outline, teasing at the sheer size of it.

If it wasn't for the tattoo he'd have had to look twice to make sure that it wasn't Nico, but he was sitting next to him, and when Nico caught sight of him, his eyes drawn to the identical wings of his soulmate, he stood up and stretched his wings out wide, flapping them in Jo's face as Mitch and Alex watched on in fascination.

Nico strode over to his soulmate, stopping within a wing's distance so that they could size each other up. Jo could see the sparks fly between them, the crackle of electricity in the air as they both stood with their wings out wide, examining each other to make sure that their wings were identical.

"Kevin."

"Nico."

Kevin blinked, and Nico took that as his cue to rush in for a kiss, wrapping Kevin up in his wings as their hands were grabbing at any bit of free clothing, pornographic moans escaping from the huddle of wings and limbs that they had become. The librarian had to cough several times to get them to stop, and Nico hadn't even had to say a word for them to end up heading back to the flat, holding each other's hand as they scurried along.

"That was quick," Alex said, and Jo could have sworn that there was a little bit of envy in his voice, but he wasn't interested in finding his soulmate or any of that, so Jo didn't mention it.

"I guess we'll take his stuff home for him?" Marcus said, but he wasn't looking for an answer, although they were all thinking the same thing – _we should give Nico some time alone with his soulmate before we head home._

In the end they studied until the sun was long gone and there was a chill in the air. They were the only ones left in the library, and although it was open twenty-four hours, the staff had left at a reasonable time, with entry and exit by student cards overnight.

*

Nico couldn't believe that he'd just ran into his soulmate, when he wasn't even looking for him. But he knew that they were meant to be, even the feeling of holding Kevin's hand was better than a super-sized McDonald's meal with extra burgers.

Kevin's grin was angelic and yet he was sure that in the right circumstances he'd be a little devil, which was something Nico couldn't wait to see. Even the way that they were heading for his place with little more than a kiss and a name said how similar they were.

Nico's long legs meant that the walk back to his flat didn't take long, and Kevin had practically jogged to keep up with him, but the smile had never left his face.

They stumbled through the front door, Kevin unwilling to wait any longer for a kiss, and with that the clothes were coming off at an alarming speed. Kevin was able to walk backwards and strip out of his jeans, never breaking the kiss as Nico pulled his t-shirt off over his head, his wings sliding in effortlessly through the holes in it so that Nico didn't get them tangled up in it.

Everyone who left their wings on display during the day had done it at one time or another. It usually happened to Nico after he'd eaten far too much and he was on the brink of a food coma when he tried to get undressed.

But it was different now, he wanted to impress Kevin, take his breath away, and he pulled his jumper off with his wings still out, spreading them out once he was topless.

Kevin stood with his mouth open, they'd not spoken beyond their names yet, it had all been little glances and knowing looks. They would have the rest of their lives to talk, and now all Nico wanted was to get to know what Kevin sounded like as they made love.

"I'll do whatever you want," Nico said, and Kevin patted the bed with a wing, motioning for Nico to lie out.

Kevin looked in the bottom drawer of the little bedside cabinet, and grinned when he saw what he was looking for. He took out the lube, squeezing it into his hands and rubbing it between his palms to warm it up as he dragged his eyes over Nico, clearly impressed with his cock if the look of admiration on his face was anything to go by.

Nico reached out to trail his wing over Kevin's tattoo, so intricate and the dark ink stood out against his pale skin.

"You like?" Kevin asked, using the question as a distraction so that he had the element of surprise as he wrapped his hand around Nico's cock, leaving him with his mouth hanging open as Kevin slicked up his cock. His free hand reached around to finger himself open and Nico leant in for a kiss, but Kevin moved away at the last second, grin on his face as he teased Nico, waiting for him to sit back before giving Nico the kiss that he wanted.

"I'm close." Nico could feel the familiar warmth around his balls, and the way that his muscles tensed meant that he was on the edge of a spectacular orgasm.

Kevin swung his leg over him, lining up so that he could sink down on to him with one smooth motion, giving Nico no time to process it all and Nico had to take a deep breath so that he could last long enough to bring Kevin to climax.

Nico bottomed out, Kevin tight and warm around him, and the way that they fitted together was perfect, like they were meant to be.

"Move for me." Kevin's breathless voice snapped Nico into action, pulling Kevin in for a kiss at the same time as he gently started to thrust, licking up all of his gasps and moans from his soft lips.

Nico let his free hand rest on Kevin's hip, wrapping his wings around him, controlling the pace as their bodies moved in perfect synchrony, the moans getting more frantic, more desperate and Nico felt Kevin's muscles flutter around him, come spurting over his abs as Kevin's lips went slack, Nico shuddering as he came inside him, filling him up.

Kevin went limp in his arms, panting as he cuddled in to his shoulder and Nico stroked his hair, brushing it back off his forehead with his soft wings. He kissed at his forehead and Kevin mumbled something so quietly that Nico had to ask him to repeat it.

"I'm so glad that you're my soulmate," Kevin whispered, still breathless and limp.

Nico stroked the side of his face so that Kevin was looking at him, big blue eyes that were filled with so much love and affection. "Me too, you're more perfect than I could ever have imagined."


	2. Crash

> _The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear. And the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown._
> 
> _\- H P Lovecraft_

 

When they got home, Jo was relieved to hear nothing that sounded like two people making love, and they ordered pizza for dinner, not sure what Kevin would want to eat, although a plain cheesy pizza was always a safe bet.

With dinner ordered, Jo went for a shower, checking that none of the others wanted it first, and he forgot all about the guest in their flat until he was leaving the bathroom. His towel slipped and he hurried to wrap it back around himself but it wasn't an issue until he heard a soft, breathless voice say, "He's not got his wings yet."

Jo felt his cheeks burn and he darted for his bedroom. Clutching his towel and cursing the fact that he didn't have a lock on his door, he'd never felt the need for one before, but now he would have loved to shut the whole world out.

He heard people whispering in the hall, voices kept low and he wanted to go out and tell them everything but the embarrassment was too great. Jo knew that being nearly twenty and not having his wings yet made him strange, but it was just how it went in his family, they were all late bloomers.

There was a faint knock on the door, and Jo pulled his blanket over him, curling up into a ball in the hope that whoever it was would assume that he was asleep.

"Stay in my room," Nico said, and Jo could only assume that he was talking to Kevin.

The door creaked open and Jo stayed still, but the footsteps got closer. Marcus was kneeling on the floor beside the bed, slowly pulling the cover back until he could see Jo's eyes.

"You could have told us," Marcus said, and Jo nodded, but he couldn't speak, he didn't know what to say, and he felt the bed dip behind him with the weight of someone.

"You've got the right idea, not bothering with all this soulmates stuff," Mitch said, and Alex told him to be quiet.

"If you two are not going to help, leave." Marcus sounded almost angry, or was it upset? He was so laid back that Jo had never known him to shout, so just raising his voice a little bit had a big effect.

"Fine."

Jo couldn't tell if it was Mitch or Alex who said it, but he heard them leave, and he was glad that there were a few less people around to see him like this. Marcus handed him a jumper, and it smelt of the laundry powder that his parents used, which was comforting. He wriggled into it without coming out from under the duvet, and it wasn't until his back was fully covered that he sat up in bed, allowing Marcus and Nico to sit either side of him.

"I didn't want you to think I was a freak," Jo said, fidgeting with the duvet as he spoke.

Marcus wrapped him up in his wings, unsure if it was insensitive in the situation, but Jo seemed to relax once they were around him, which was all that Marcus cared about.

"You're not a freak," Marcus said, holding him tight as he held Jo's hands. "And whatever happens I will still be your friend."

Jo felt Nico slide his wing around him too, he wanted nothing more than to sleep curled up in their wings, but his mind was restless, and he wanted answers.

"What does it feel like? When your wings come out for the first time?" Jo asked, unable to look at either of them in case he saw their reactions. He'd been taught about it in school, but he wasn't sure that all the stuff about it being painless was true. Not when two holes were going to form in his skin so that that his wings could come out, that sounded terrifying.

"It's tender when your wings come out for the first time, but apart from that it's like a sprained muscle, a little uncomfortable, but bearable." Marcus held Jo's hand tighter. "And I'll be here holding your hand through it all."

"The first time my wings came out it was sore," Nico said, "But it faded over a couple of days."

Jo flinched, it all sounded awful, and painful. He compressed his lips, the wings around him suffocating and he just wanted out of there.

"Pizza's here!" Alex yelled, and Jo was glad that he still had some luck.

"Are you going to come through to the living room?" Nico asked, already heading for the food.

"Yeah, give me a minute to throw on some clothes."

Marcus followed Nico out, shutting the door on his way, and Jo hurried to pull on his jeans. He'd have preferred that Marcus stayed, so at least he didn't have to walk into the room alone, but he'd cope. It was all out in the open now and it was a relief, he hadn't realised how much it was on his mind.

Jo opened the door to see Marcus standing there, waiting for him, and he managed to put a smile on his face, following Marcus to the living room. No-one said anything, at all, and it was the first time that there had been silence over dinner.

Nico stuffed a whole slice of pizza into his mouth as Kevin watched with a raised eyebrow. They must be soulmates if Kevin could deal with Nico's eating habits. But still no-one spoke.

Jo took a deep breath, he needed to break the silence. "So, I don't have my wings yet." He shrugged and he hoped that his body language said he didn't care. "I'm too busy studying to worry about it, or soulmates." Out the corner of his eye he caught sight of Nico and he felt a stab of guilt, but he'd meant what he said. He bit his lip before adding, "Congratulations on finding your soulmate Nico, I'm happy for you both."

"Since we're all friends again…" Nico glanced around the room. "Kevin needs somewhere to live, is it cool if he stays here with us?"

Everyone looked at Jo, and he nodded, not sure how it would all work out, but for Nico, their friend, they would make it work.

The rest of the evening was a lot more relaxed, everyone getting to know Kevin, and Jo felt at ease with the world.

***

A few weeks passed and all the awkwardness of that night was long forgotten, Kevin settled in well, and he became one of the gang, even if he was studying art.

They were having a flat party tonight, and although Jo had said that he didn't want a party for his birthday, the others had talked him into it. But he didn't mind a party, as long as they were all about. He wasn't one for socialising any more than he had to.

They were putting out the beer and snacks when Mitch tried to put up balloons, but even on his tiptoes, he couldn't reach the top of the door.

"I'll do it," Jo said, and he put them up without any hassle.

"You've got tall," Mitch said, although it was hard to judge, and it wasn't until Marcus wandered through that Jo realised he was now a little bit taller than him, which meant that he must have grown over the winter. "You'll be getting a whole beard next."

Mitch laughed as he wandered off to his room, and Jo ran his fingers over his patchy stubble, wondering when the rest of it would grow in.

"You're looking good," Marcus said, and Jo felt himself blush. He wasn't sure why he cared so much about a compliment, but his subconscious knew, he had a crush on Marcus, and he was soaking up everything that he said, adding it to the collection so that one day his conscious mind could figure out that he was head over heels in love with him.

***

Jo had decided to stay at uni for the spring break, it would mean that he was close to the library and other resources, and since everyone else was staying here, they would all be together for the holidays.

Alex had gone to watch Mitch debate, and Jo had no idea where Nico and Kevin were. "Marcus?"

There was no answer and Jo tried to stand, but he felt dizzy and sluggish, unable to move his limbs with any semblance of coordination. He staggered to the shower and turned it on to the cool setting, relief flooding through his body as the water ran over him.

He started to wash, and that was when he felt _it_. His hand snapped away from his tender skin, only to return after he'd taken a deep breath to steady himself, tentatively exploring the tender skin and the ridges that were forming on his shoulder blades.

Jo let out a whimper, his stomach twisted at the thought of something strange happening to his body, and he folded his arms, keeping his hands from poking at it.

"Jo? Are you okay?" Marcus was clearly on the other side of the door, and Jo wanted someone to reassure him, but he didn't want Marcus to see him like this.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

He switched the shower off and wrapped the towel around his waist, keeping it low on his hips so that it wouldn't be anywhere near his inflamed skin. Jo felt the bile rise in his throat at the thought of his winglets forming on his back. As much as he tried to rationalise it in his head, telling himself that there had to be a way out for his wings, knowing and feeling were two different things, and he felt sick every time his fingers brushed over them.

Jo opened the bathroom door and Marcus was standing there dressed in nothing but his boxers, arms and wings held wide, and Jo felt tears well up in his eyes. He cuddled in to Marcus, but the second Marcus' hand brushed his winglet he yelped in pain.

Marcus moved back, keeping his hands and wings off him as he moved round to see Jo's raw looking winglets. Jo felt so vulnerable with Marcus staring at them, and he felt a blush creep on to his cheeks.

"I'm going to get you a cup of tea," Marcus said, "You go get comfy in bed."

Jo nodded, glad that he didn't have to go through this alone, but it didn't stop the feeling of dread for what he was about to go through.

*

He lay out face down on the bed. Jo had almost sat with his back against the wall but he'd stopped in time, and his stomach churned at the thought of his skin opening up, revealing his insides.

But it was better than the alternative, his wings forcing their own way out whether there were holes for them or not.

None of his thoughts were reassuring him and just as he thought that he might cry, Marcus hurried through with a cup of tea in his hand. "It should be drinking temperature."

Jo sat up just enough that he could hold the cup. He took a sip and it was perfect. Milky and sweet, and everything that his body was crying out for. "Thank you."

Marcus reached out to hold his hand and Jo grasped it, needing something to ground him, to stop him panicking about what was happening to his body.

Jo rolled over to get comfy, but the towel fell down on to the floor revealing his half hard cock, and Jo sat up so that he could put his tea down. His whole body blushed and he felt a twinge in his back which made him hold his breath until it passed.

"It's okay, I know it's just your hormones." Marcus stared at the window, giving Jo a chance to cover himself.

Jo was grateful for the excuse. "Yes." Except he knew that he had feelings for Marcus. "No." But could it just be the hormones heightening all his emotions? "Maybe?" He shook his head as he looked up at Marcus. "I really like you, and I want to be your soulmate, but what if our wings aren't the same? What if I don't ever get my wings?"

Marcus looked at the way Jo's back rippled, there was no chance that his wings weren't coming through, and soon.

"I really like you too." Marcus kissed the end of Jo's nose, stroking his lower back, trying to avoid his tender skin. "And even if our wings aren't the same, or you never get your wings, I still want to be with you."

Marcus watched as Jo's wing moved under the skin, they were preparing to release, and from the look of all the angry red skin, it was going to be painful. "I'm going to get some ice." Marcus ducked down for a kiss, a brief brush of lips, but he felt all warm and fuzzy inside.

Every second that Marcus was gone Jo felt lost, and it wasn't until he the door creak open that he felt less anxious.

"This might sting a bit," Marcus said, and Jo didn't like the sound of that. All people had ever done was tell him that getting his wings wouldn't be that bad, but now that it was happening to him, the pain was excruciating, and he was sure that worse was coming.

Jo cried out as the ice hit his inflamed winglets, the contrast of cold on his feverishly warm skin painful but it subsided to a nice chill, sending shivers down his body.

"Better?" Marcus was clearly trying to stay strong for Jo, but he could hear the flicker of pain in his voice.

Jo let out a little whimper, he wasn't sure he could speak without his voice betraying him, and he didn't want Marcus to feel any worse than he already did. He was just grateful to have someone looking after him, and that he wasn't alone when it happened.

Marcus arranged the pillows so that Jo could sleep without any more pain, taking the pressure off his shoulders and back. "Try and sleep, you need to rest." He gave Jo a kiss on his forehead, his skin was far warmer than Marcus' lips, which meant that Jo's fever was getting worse, and his wings were getting closer to releasing.

Jo's eyes closed, and Marcus rushed to his phone, scrolling through his contacts until he found the one he needed – Dr Jonathan Palmer.

*

Jo woke to see Marcus sitting next to him and he smiled, until he felt a stabbing pain in his shoulders and a pained groan escaped from his mouth. He tried to move but all his joints ached, and his head throbbed with each beat of his heart.

"Marcus, I don't feel well."

Sweat had plastered his hair to his skin, and Marcus brushed it back, trying to soothe Jo but he kept fidgeting.

"You need to stay still." Marcus rested his forehead against Jo's, he could see the fear in his eyes and he wished that he had better news for him, but what Dr Palmer had told Marcus that he would have to do was nothing short of terrifying.

"Okay." Jo nodded and his voice sounded so small.

"I spoke to your dad…"

Jo's eyes flew open and Marcus had to place a hand on the small of his back to stop him trying to get up. The last thing that he wanted was for Jo to be in any more pain than he had to be.

"What did he say?" Jo's voice was little more than a whisper, his eyes watering and Marcus wasn't sure if it was from the pain, or if he was scared. Although in his situation Marcus would be frightened.

"That you can go to the hospital, and they'll cut your winglets open…"

Jo let out a sob and Marcus grabbed his hand, intertwining their fingers as he kept his other hand on his back to stop him moving. Jo wished that he didn't know what having his winglets cut open would entail, there was risk of damage to his wings, and it would take a long while to heal, leaving him with a painful recovery and scars.

"Or that I can gently… tear, them open." Marcus held Jo tight, each time that he writhed it was only causing him more pain. He had repeated what Jonathan had said, word for word, but the way Jo flinched when he'd said tear made his stomach turn.

Jo bit his lip and Marcus kissed the back of his hand. He knew that if he did nothing his wings would tear their own way out, which was the worst possible scenario, anything was better than risking a painful death due to blood loss.

"Do it," Jo said, his eyes wide, and Marcus felt his blood run cold.

_Could I really hurt Jo to save him from a greater pain?_

Jo screamed out as one of his wings moved under his skin, stretching it to the limit with such force that it knocked the ice off.

Marcus gave Jo a wooden spoon to bite down on, and Jo compressed his lips, sweat dripping down his face as he shook his head.

"This is going to hurt," Marcus said, and a tear ran down his cheek.

Jo bit on the spoon, his face pale and Marcus gave him one last kiss on the back of his hand. There was no point delaying the inevitable, he needed to do this before his nerves got the better of him and Jo suffered even more.

Marcus straddled his back, the weight of him pinning his body down made Jo feel secure, but the feeling was short lived as Marcus took the ice away from his winglets, and they burned with a searing pain.

The smell of antiseptic filled the air and Jo squealed as he braced himself for the first touch. Even on minor cuts it burnt badly, and combined with the inflamed, delicate skin of his winglets, it was going to be torture.

Marcus wiped the antiseptic over the winglets and Jo felt like his flesh was on fire. Jo screamed until his vision was white and his own voice sounded distant. He gasped for air and the spoon fell out, distracting him as Marcus applied the antiseptic to his other winglet.

He screamed until he couldn't hear it any more, his ears ringing and it felt like his soul was floating outside of himself. He slumped down on the bed, his fever ridden body was exhausted and he couldn't fight it.

Jo caught his breath and his vision cleared as the pain faded, he had survived it. And then he felt Marcus' fingers on his aggravated skin, the lightest pressure had him writhing in agony, tears streaming down his cheeks and only the weight of Marcus kept him from curling up in a ball.

"I'll be as gentle as I can."

Jo could hear that Marcus was crying, and it broke his heart to hear it, the emotional pain every bit as bad as the agonising physical pain. He let out a sob and took a deep breath, picking up the spoon and biting down on it.

"I'm ready," Jo mumbled, but even with his mouth clenched shut, he was sure that Marcus would understand.

Marcus did exactly what Jonathan had told him. He used his finger and thumb to find the ridges and then gently pulled apart along the seam. Every scream made the tears flow faster and the winglet had only just started to tear, the sickening sound of flesh parting would forever be seared into his mind.

Blood rushed into the opening, but it was only superficial, and Marcus breathed a sigh of relief as Jo's screams echoed in his ears. He wiped it clean with the antiseptic and Jo thrashed until he was done, his pained squeals fading until they were just a whimper.

"You're doing really well." Marcus reached out to stroke the side of Jo's face but he saw the blood on his fingers and snapped his hand back. "It's all going to be over soon."

Jo let out a sob, and Marcus wanted him to scream again just so he would know that he was conscious.

Marcus placed his fingers around Jo's other winglet, and he whimpered as his head went limp, his eyes shut as Marcus tore it open, the flesh ripping apart along the seam, blood rushing up to fill the bruised opening. The wings were starting to poke out, making the blood flow faster, and they kept tearing at the edges of the winglets as Marcus tried to stop the damage.

He cried as he cleaned and patched Jo's wounds. Jo's breathing was shallow and his pulse was weak, but at least he was still breathing and his heart was still beating.

Rushing to the bathroom to clean up, Marcus sprinted back and knelt on the floor by Jo's head, stroking the side of his face until Jo blinked. His face was scrunched up as he took a deep breath, pain shooting through his body.

"It's done, you're going to be okay." Marcus went in for a kiss, but he pulled back when he heard Jo gasp. "Don't move, and don't try and use your wings."

Jo nodded, his skin was so pale that he looked greenish in the light, and Marcus felt a single tear run down his cheek.

"Thank you," Jo whispered, he reached out to try and wipe away the tears from Marcus' cheek, but he felt a sharp pain as though his skin was being torn open, again, and his vision faded.

He came to and everything was dark, Jo blinked but it made no difference until he tried to move his arm, and it looked like a curtain had been lifted. It was his wing, his dark blue wing. It had been draped over him, and he cried, not because of the stabbing pains in his back, but because Marcus wasn't his soulmate, and that was the most excruciating pain of all.

Jo was still crying when his dad arrived. Marcus hadn't been able to get a word out of Jo, every time he tried to speak the tears started flowing again and the more upset Marcus got the more Jo cried.

"Dad?" Jo sat up and his wings were crusted with blood where it had run down his back.

"I'm here." Jonathan held Jo, not caring that there was blood everywhere, or that Jo was naked apart from just a blanket draped over his lap.

Marcus had tried to get him to put clothes on, but it was no use, Jo's skin looked so purple and bruised around his wings, and anything touching it would only have caused more pain. His dad held him so gently, his hands resting on his arms, they were the only bit of him that wasn't too tender to touch.

Marcus felt lost now that he couldn't comfort Jo, and he slunk through to the living room. He sat on the sofa, staring at his hands, horrified with himself. His hands had caused Jo all that pain, and no matter what he told himself he felt sick inside. Tears ran down his face and he curled up in a ball on the sofa, wondering where the others had gone.

*

It had taken his dad at least fifteen minutes of telling him that it was okay, that he was safe now before he could get stop crying long enough to talk.

"Where does it hurt?" his dad asked, doctor mode activated now that the sobbing was nothing more than a few sniffles.

Jo clutched at his heart and his dad felt his pulse, trying to feel if there was something wrong with his heart rate.

"It's a little high, but it's just the fever, and the shock." His dad took his hands and Jo looked him in the eyes for the first time since he'd arrived.

"Marcus… He's not my soulmate." Jo sniffed and the tears started flowing again, he wrapped his wings around himself, not caring at the pain across his shoulders or the feeling of blood trickling down his back.

His dad stroked his hair out of his face, wiping the tears off his cheek with his thumb. "We can work it all out together."

Jo nodded, and he took a deep breath. He rested his head against his dad's shoulder, wincing as his wings settled against his back.

"But first you have to get clean, and then I'll dress your wounds."

Jo saw his dad frown, for all his years in medicine, seeing family get hurt wasn't something that he could keep a professional distance from. He took the stained blanket with him to the bathroom, leaving it on the floor for someone else to deal with and he stood in the shower until the water ran clear and his muscles felt less like he'd been punched all over.

*

Marcus tried to wipe the tears away as Jonathan appeared, but it was no use, his eyes were puffy, puffier, and there was no explanation other than he'd been crying.

Jonathan sat next to him and Marcus felt the tears run down his cheeks. "I really hurt him. He just kept screaming." Marcus let Jonathan hug him and he wasn't sure why he was being so nice to the monster that his hurt his baby boy.

"You did what you had to." Jonathan held him until he was all cried out, and Marcus felt a stab of pain at the fact that Jo wasn't his soulmate. He'd always wondered, but he'd respected what he thought was Jo's decision not to get his wings out.

"I hurt him." Marcus sat back, glancing at his hands. Even though they were clean he could still feel the blood on them.

"If you hadn't done it…" Jonathan shook his head. "Who knows what could have happened if they'd tried to cut his winglets open."

Marcus nodded, he'd heard the horror stories of people who'd had their wings cut off. For all that modern medicine had advanced, it seemed like the disciplines to do with wings were archaic, and the fact that Jonathan, a practicing doctor, didn't trust them, spoke volumes.

"It was the lesser of evils." Jonathan rested his hand on Marcus' shoulder. "I'm just sorry that I couldn't get here in time."

"I should have just come home for the holidays," Jo said, making them both jump. He had a towel round his waist, and he was carrying another in his hand, but there were thin rivulets of blood trailing down his back.

"It's not your fault." Jonathan shuffled back, and patted the sofa between him and Marcus.

Jo laid out the spare towel before sitting down, and Jonathan opened up his bag. "Marcus is going to hold your hands, and I'm going to get you all patched up as quickly as possible."

Jonathan found out lots of bits of gauze and tape, sitting them on his lap while he cleaned up Jo's wounds. Marcus held Jo's hands tight, unable to look him in the eyes. Jo's wings were spectacular now that they were clean, a deep, rich azure blue, but they weren't even the same colour as his, never mind the same shape and feather patterns.

It was a cruel and fucked up universe that would do this to them. After all that Jo had suffered, at least finding his soulmate would have made it seem worthwhile, although that was equally fucked up.

"I'm sorry," Marcus whispered, holding Jo tight as he winced and gasped but he didn't scream, and Marcus had to take deep breaths to stop the tears falling.

It didn't take long for Jonathan to patch him up, but it was going to take a while for the open wounds to heal. "Marcus, are you able to change the dressing each day?"

"Sure." Marcus rested his forehead against Jo's, stroking the side of his face as he stared into his eyes, and Jo wrapped his wings around him, comforting him as Marcus slid his wings out. Both their wings were blue in colour, but that was where the similarities ended.

"It won't be necessary," Jo said, "I'm coming home for the holidays."

"I'm coming with you," Marcus said, holding Jo's hand tight and he saw Jonathan smile.

"Grab your things and we'll get going so we can be back by dinner."

Jo smiled, and Marcus realised that Alex and Mitch were right, the whole notion of soulmates was silly, and he wanted no part of it. All he wanted was Jo, but he was going to give him time to adjust to all of this.

*

Jo had spent the entire car journey asleep, drooling on Marcus' lap. His body and mind were exhausted, and Marcus had stroked Jo's face with his wings as he slept, hoping that it was still a comfort to him the way it always had been.

Dinner had seen Will looking at the bloodied gauze on Jo's back, even though his mum had told him to leave Jo alone.

"Just wait until you get your wings," Jo said, and Will had looked very pale at that.

The rest of dinner was spent chatting about other things, much to Will's relief. Jo looked happy just to be home, and Marcus was glad to see him smile.

Jo had spent the rest of the evening lying on his side, his back still too sore to sit comfortably, and he'd refused to put his wings away, although with his damaged and tender winglets that too would be agony.

Being home seemed to be nice and relaxing for Jo. Marcus yawned, the exhaustion finally catching up with him. Normally he'd have slept in the car, or napped while Jo was asleep, but he'd been so worried about him that he'd just sat by his side, checking his pulse and breathing as he silently begged the universe to look after his friend.

Jo had wanted to ask if Marcus was still happy sharing a bed with him, it was what they had done last time Marcus came to visit, although he'd kept his back covered so that Marcus couldn't see that he hadn't got his wings yet.

In the end he'd just taken Marcus' hand, leading him to bed rather than have a big long awkward conversation. As much as Jo wanted to know where their relationship was, and if Marcus meant what he said about wanting to be together no matter what, he just needed to sleep first.

Marcus hadn't said a word about them being naked, the thought of it was too much to bear for Jo, clothing felt restrictive and rough against his skin. Jo had draped himself over Marcus, it was the comfiest way to sleep, his wings surrounding them, and his back free to rest without any pressure on it.

Having Marcus' warm skin pressed against him made everything feel better, and the painkillers that his dad had given him seemed to be doing their job. Jo drifted off to sleep, Marcus' wings stroking at his face and for a brief moment, he felt like everything was going to work out.

*

Marcus woke to the sound of his phone buzzing, the weight of Jo on top of him was comforting, and he felt Jo's erection pressing against his thigh. He wanted to rub himself against it, but it wasn't the time, he wanted to take things slow, and Jo needed space to come to terms with it all.

He looked at his phone and he was shocked to see how many missed calls and messages he had. All from the guys, and all asking if him and Jo were okay.

Marcus hit call on Nico's number, he was the last person to send a message, just a few minutes ago.

"Hi," Marcus whispered, as Jo snuggled in tighter by his side.

"Where are you?" Nico asked, "What happened?" The worry was clear in his voice and Marcus realised that he should have left a note saying that they were heading off to visit Jo's parents. "Why is there blood all over Jo's bed?"

"Fuck." Marcus shook his head even though Nico couldn't see it. "Sorry, Jo got his wings and it was… messy."

"Fuck." Nico was telling the others to shush as Marcus tried to figure out what to say.

"Yeah. He's okay now, but Dr Palmer came and Jo thought it would be best that he recover at home."

"Can I talk to him?" Nico asked, and Marcus could hear the others whispering away in the background.

"He's still asleep, but I'll get him to call you later." Marcus said goodbye before hanging up, he tried to cuddle back in to Jo, but he wriggled when his cock touched Marcus' hip.

"I'm awake," Jo said, stretching his wings as he let out a choked gasp.

Marcus stroked the side of his face, it was a friendly gesture, but the way that they were staring into each other's eyes said that they were both thinking of something more than friendship.

Jo leant in for a kiss, his eyes wide as though he expected Marcus to say something, but he didn't, he wanted it every bit as much as Jo did. Marcus' lips were rough, and he deepened the kiss, Marcus' wings resting on his lower back as his hands stroked at his face and neck. Careful so as not to hurt him and Jo was grateful for it, there was only so long that he could put a brave face on it, the dull ache of his winglets changing to a stabbing pain whenever he moved suddenly.

Marcus' hand wandered lower, teasing at the skin around his cock as he broke the kiss, staring at Jo as though he was asking for permission to touch him.

"Do you want this?"

Jo wanted to scream yes, but the excitement had put his mind into overdrive and all he could manage was a nod. He straddled Marcus, his wings draped out of the way so that there was no risk of them being accidentally trapped or caught.

Marcus wrapped his hand around Jo's cock, stroking away as his wings caressed his arse, the soft fluffy feathers teasing at his hole. The adrenaline was the perfect painkiller and Jo was quietly gasping for more, all his inhibitions long gone as Marcus slid his wing inside him, nudging that spot as Jo shuddered in orgasm, muffling his gasps with his hand as he came over Marcus' stomach.

All the worry about soulmates was long gone, he didn't care who the universe thought would be perfect for him, he knew that Marcus was the one, and he wanted to show Marcus that. Jo scooped up his come from Marcus' abs, delighting in each twitch of his muscles. He spread it over Marcus' cock before wrapping his hand around him, he was so warm and each stroke had him getting harder until it felt like the pressure was at breaking point.

Marcus came with a gasp, grin on his face as he stroked the side of Jo's face, leading him down for a kiss as they made out, sloppy kisses that got slower until they drifted off to sleep, wrapped in each other's wings.

*

Marcus woke up to an empty bed, and he put his wings away before throwing on some clean clothes. He wandered downstairs and heard Jo talking to his dad. Marcus hovered by the door before going in, and Jo smiled as soon as he saw him but it was short lived as Jo winced, the pain of his wounds being cleaned and dressed.

"How are you feeling?" Marcus asked, and he stopped to give Jo a kiss on the forehead before aiming for the kettle. He needed a coffee to wake up, and Jo would want a cup of tea to relax.

"Not too bad," Jo said, but there was gasp as Jonathan taped the last bit of gauze in place.

"There's leftover pancakes and bacon keeping warm in the oven," Jonathan said, "You should eat something, keep your strength up."

"I will, dad."

Jonathan looked at Marcus, and he nodded, he didn't have to ask him to make sure that Jo ate. Marcus would make sure that he had something, even if he had to feed him.

Luckily he didn't have to, Jo ate as though he hadn't been fed in a while, and it was nice to see him looking less pale. But then his brow furrowed and Marcus knew that he was thinking about unhappy things.

"What's wrong?" Marcus asked, but he didn't get an answer. "Is it because we're not soulmates?"

"No." Jo sipped at his cup of tea. "Yes. I just wanted what other couples have, where they know that they're meant to be together."

Marcus put his hand over his heart before saying, "I can feel it in here. I don't need to see proof, I just know that we're soulmates."

Jo smiled, he'd been unsure about it all, but hearing Marcus say those words made him feel fuzzy inside. He knew that Marcus was his soulmate, no matter what his new wings looked like.

*

The next ten days had seen Jo's winglets heal, although having to take his wings in and then let them back out every couple of hours so that the winglets couldn't heal themselves shut had been painful.

His dad was poking at the winglets, checking that they had healed, and Jo was gripping Marcus' hand. There were no words for how grateful he was to Marcus, soulmate or not, he was the best thing in his life, and he couldn't imagine a future where they weren't together.

"They've healed nicely," Jonathan said, "Are they still sore?"

"A little." Jo saw Marcus flinch when he said that, and he smiled, so that Marcus wouldn't worry about him.

Jonathan slid his wings out through the arm holes, blood red wings that had tickled Jo as a child, comforted him when he cried and lifted him up so that he could reach the sweeties on the top shelf.

"You probably won't want to try this for a while" Jonathan said, wrapping Jo up in his wings and Jo laughed, "You'll have to cut holes in your clothes."

"I'm not sure I'm going to have my wings out in public, not yet."

"You know the whole soulmates thing is arbitrary, as long as you're happy that's all that matters."

Jo smiled, and for the first time in a while he felt like he could cope with all of it. "I know, dad."


	3. eXistenZ

> _From even the greatest of horrors irony is seldom absent._
> 
> _\- H P Lovecraft_

 

Jo had barely made it through the door of the flat when the others came to ask a lot of questions. He'd got as far as the living room when it was clear that staying silent wasn't an option, he was going to have to talk to his friends.

"So are you going to show us your new wings?" Alex asked, and Jo wondered why he was so fascinated with it all. Mitch had appeared at the mention of wings, and everyone had gathered around in the living room.

Jo let out a groan before taking his top off, he'd decided not to get his wings out so that no-one could see that him and Marcus didn't have matching wings, but since everyone here was a friend, he was sure that it was all better out in the open.

He eased his wings out, feeling the winglets stretch so that they could slide out. Jo was sure that the discomfort he felt was because of all the pain he'd suffered when they broke through, but it didn't stop him wincing.

Everyone gasped, and Jo couldn't tell if it was because of his wings, or the fact that they didn't match Marcus'.

Jo looked up and Marcus held him tight, kissing at the tender skin around his wings as he stretched them out, letting them drape over the back of the sofa as the others stared at him.

"I thought you said you were soulmates," Mitch said, and Kevin whispered something to him.

"We are." Marcus folded his arms, and there was silence as everyone tried to work out what to say.

Nico reached out to touch Jo's wing, and he flinched before laughing. "It's ticklish."

"You have some feathers that are the same colour as Marcus' wings," Nico said, trailing his fingers over them and Jo felt a rush of pleasure. Jo snatched his wings away, wrapping them around himself as he looked at the clusters of pale blue feathers that had appeared.

He hadn't really looked at his wings, not in detail, the pain had blurred it all. But now he realised that they weren't the uniform azure blue that he thought they were, although the first time that he had seen him own wings they were covered in blood and he was dizzy with the pain, so maybe he'd missed the pale blue spots.

Jo wandered through to the hall where there was a full length mirror, and admired his wings. They definitely had lighter spots, and he was sure that they were the same shade of sky blue that Marcus' wings were, but it was too awkward to ask Marcus to get his wings out now with everyone around. It could wait until another time.

He put his wings away and put his top back on, wandering through to the kitchen to make a cup of tea. Showing off his wings had been more stressful than he thought it would be, but at least it was over now.

*

"I can't believe they don't have the same wings," Alex said, "They're clearly soulmates."

Alex and Mitch had decided to leave the two couples alone in the living room, chatting about their relationships. They were sitting in Mitch's room, a large New Zealand flag hung on the wall to stop him feeling homesick.

"I'm happy for them," Mitch said, but his voice had a hint of sadness to it.

"Want to talk?" Alex shuffled closer so that he could hug Mitch, and his glasses pressed into his chest.

"I thought soulmates weren't for me, which meant relationships were off the table, but seeing Jo and Marcus together…" Mitch cuddled in closer, and Alex stroked his hair, so soft and fluffy.

"I know." Alex nodded, even though Mitch couldn't see it. "I'd heard of relationships where they weren't soulmates, but I'd never known anyone."

"Do you want a relationship, ace?" Mitch sat up so that he could look Alex in the eyes, and he couldn't keep the blush off his cheeks.

"Yes, but not just because I have the same wings as someone." Alex fidgeted with his hands, his shoulders rippling as though his wings were preparing to slide out. "I want someone that I have the same interests as, someone I like spending time with, who I can trust with my secrets."

Mitch was nodding as Alex spoke, and he realised that he was the person that Alex was describing. They had been inseparable for the last couple of years, and Alex was the first person that he turned to when he needed someone to talk to, or a hug.

Alex had moved closer while Mitch was lost in his thoughts, and the way that his lips trembled had Mitch leaning in for a kiss, lust surging through his body like lightning. Mitch tasted of chocolate and sunshine, and Alex wanted more, he tilted his head so that he could deepen the kiss, their little gasps and moans getting more frantic until Mitch was straddling him, their hard cocks pressing together and Alex helped Mitch strip out of his t-shirt before doing the same.

Mitch had his eyes closed, he stretched out his wings so that he could hold Alex tight, and the moan that Alex let out when he stroked him with his wings had Mitch wishing that he'd done this a long time ago. Soft wings were stroking at the side of Mitch's face, and he felt his whole body shudder in orgasm, the sensation of wing against skin was so sensual that he couldn't believe he'd denied himself it for all this time.

It made sense that Jo had always been seeking out contact with wings, and Mitch felt bad for teasing him about it now that he'd experienced it. Just the lightest touch made him feel loved and safe, and he knew that Alex felt the same.

Mitch broke the kiss, his eyes still shut, and he wondered if Alex could see if they had matching wings or not.

"I'm scared to open my eyes," Alex said, and Mitch stroked him with his wings, aimlessly teasing the elastic of his boxers as he wondered what to say.

"Me too." Mitch let out a little laugh, but he was dying to know if their wings matched. "How about we do it on the count of three?"

"Deal."

"One. Two." Mitch felt his heart rate soar, why did he care if their wings matched or not? He wanted to be with Alex and Alex wanted to be with him.

"Three."

They both gasped at the same time, admiring each other's wings.

"Should we tell the others?" Alex asked, grin on his face as he started to unzip Mitch's jeans with his wings.

Mitch shook his head. "You make me happy, and that's all that matters. I love you, ace."

"I love you too."

***

Having three couples in the flat wasn't as awkward as it could have been, but they'd all made sure that they had good headphones to block out any particularly noisy love making, most of which was Kevin and Nico, although Mitch and Alex could definitely give them a run for their money.

The end of year exams were approaching, and Jo had been trying to ignore the fact that Marcus hadn't got his wings out since they'd got back from his parents' house. He'd never cared about if Jo saw them in the past, and it felt strange that he'd stopped doing it.

"Why haven't you got your wings out?" Jo asked, he knew he wasn't really one to talk, apart from showing the others, he hadn't got his wings out in public, but he was using them to cuddle Marcus every night.

"I just wanted us to have the same wings." Marcus let Jo wrap him up in his wings, and he felt himself relax as Jo stroked his back.

"I miss seeing your beautiful wings." Jo kissed Marcus on his forehead. "It's selfish, but I miss the feeling of them on my skin."

Marcus sat up and wriggled out of his hoodie, his muscles rippling as he slid his wings out. They sparkled in the light, and it wasn't until Jo saw them move that he realised the darker patch wasn't a shadow, Marcus had a patch of azure blue feathers on his wings.

Jo was grabbing at Marcus' wing, dragging it closer with his own wings so he could see if the colours matched.

"Our wings are changing to match each other's." Jo kept studying their wings, checking that it wasn't a trick of the light.

"What does it mean?" Marcus stroked the side of Jo's face with his wing, and Jo turned to kiss it. His lips felt like heaven against his sensitive wings.

"I don't know." Jo held up his wing to the light, but he definitely had lighter patches that were the same colour as Marcus' feathers, and vice versa. "But I don't care, I'm just so happy that we're together."

Marcus wrapped Jo up in his wings, kissing him passionately as all their worries faded away. They had each other, and that was all they needed.

*

Over the next few weeks, Jo noticed more and more pale blue feathers on his wings, as Marcus' seemed to get darker. They were studying for their last final, comfy on the sofa with their wings out so that they could have as much physical contact as possible, when Alex came in.

He stared for a minute before walking round to see if it was a trick of the light. "Did you two dye your wings?"

"No," Marcus and Jo said at the same time, before laughing.

"It started as a few feathers, and now they appear to be identical." Marcus moved so that he was face to face with Jo, and their wings were a mirror image of each other's.

"Oh."

"I read up about it online, apparently it happens to some people, especially in cases where their soulmate has died and then they meet someone new." Jo had wondered if it was something to do with him getting his wings late, but it didn't explain why it was happening to Marcus too, and then when he'd seen that it happened to others, he'd realised that it was more common than he thought.

Although the thought that he'd had a soulmate who'd died while still a child had sent a shiver down his spine. It brought back a lot of bad memories for him. He'd been in a bad accident and he had died, for seven minutes, until the doctors managed to revive him.

"That's comforting, that there's not just one person in the whole world to love us." Alex sat down, making himself comfy, as Mitch came in and joined him.

"Should we tell them, ace?" Mitch asked, and Jo and Marcus looked at them with confusion.

"Do you want to know if we're soulmates?" Alex asked, and no-one spoke for a second.

"Are you happy?" Jo asked, and both Alex and Mitch nodded, reaching out to hold each other's hand.

"That's all that's important."

**Author's Note:**

> *and obviously none of this actually happened, it is all a figment of my twisted imagination ;)


End file.
